A popular type of merchandise display system consists of a support structure having staggered, offset rows of shelves to support and display products in a tiered fashion. The merchandise display system enables consumers to remove individuals products from the shelves and inspect the products prior to purchase. The shelves maintain the products in a neat, orderly fashion, and can include divider members for dividing the shelves into sections.
For example, one type of display system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,764, which is owned by the assignee of this invention. The '764 display system comprises a staggered, vertical array of display shelves formed both forwardly and rearwardly of display walls. A plurality of dividers can be secured to the display walls to divide both the forward and rearward side of the shelves into sections of a preselected size.
Another type of display system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,849, also owned by the assignee of the present invention. The display system shown in the '849 patent includes a supporting structure having a plurality of central dividers interposed between left and right end dividers. Each divider comprises an integrally formed, vertically tiered structure having a plurality of shelves for support of greeting cards. The dividers separate adjacent columns of greeting cards and are adjustable to support and display greeting cards of different widths.
Although the above-identified display systems provide shelves for supporting and displaying products in a vertically tiered fashion, the display systems can require significant molding and/or forming of the support structure and shelves during manufacture; and significant assembly of the structure at the point of display, all of which can increase the overall cost of the display system.
For example, the '849 patent includes front and back posts which must be preassembled to a base; and a plurality of horizontal arm extensions and support means which must be attached to the posts before the central, left, and right end dividers are located on the supporting structure. Manufacturing and assembling these components can increase the cost of the display system. Moreover, the central, left and right end dividers have a plurality of shelves which must be formed in one piece; or alternatively, formed separate from the dividers and then attached, by e.g., adhesives. The forming and/or attaching of the shelves can also increase the cost of the dividers, and hence the overall cost of the display system. Further, the number of shelves in each divider is determined during the forming and/or attaching process, and cannot later be modified at the point of display to reflect the quantity of products to be displayed.